No matter how new you are to blogging, you already know there’s a lot more to it than just writing a blog post.  If it weren’t for some of the awesome blogging tools that I use, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today with my blog.

Let me start this post by saying this – I do not spend money on anything to run my blog unless I absolutely find the cost necessary.

I’m not frugal by any means, but if I’m going to spend money frivolously, it’s going to be on other things.  Like boots.  Or energy drinks.

Aside from my web hosting, all of the blogging tools I use to manage my blog are either free, or have won me over during a free trial.

I also don’t recommend any products or services that I haven’t used myself and loved.  That’s just bad business, and I strongly advise that you keep that in mind when you’re thinking of promoting stuff on your own blog.

With that being said, I love some of these blogging tools so much that I’ve formed affiliate relationships with them.  I’ve included my affiliate links for some of the tools in this post, and I may receive a commission if you choose to make a purchase after clicking my link.  (Another tip, if you’re using affiliate links in your own blog posts, you are required by law to include a similar statement at the beginning of the post. Keep it legal!)

7 Insanely Helpful Blogging Tools That You Can Use For Free

ConvertKit

No matter where you are in your blogging journey, you need an email list.

Without ConvertKit, I would not be where I am today with my blog or my business. That’s a fact.

When you sign up with ConvertKit, you’ll get access to easy sign up forms and landing pages to turn your readers into subscribers.

Sure there are free options, like MailChimp, that can help you manage your list, but none of them compare to ConvertKit.  It’s built specifically for bloggers, by bloggers, so they understand our needs better than the other guys.

With ConvertKit, you can give your subscribers your content upgrades by simply attaching your pdf in the form settings.

You can even organize your subscribers with tags, adding them to several different lists, but without ever sending a duplicate email!

Another favorite feature is the Sequences feature.  You’ve heard about those magical sales funnels, right?  Well, ConvertKit walks you through creating your own.

ConvertKit has helped me build my list and my business, and I know it will do the same for you.

Grab your free trial of ConvertKit here and experience the difference for yourself.

 

Tailwind

If you’re using Pinterest or Instagram without the help of Tailwind, you are definitely missing out!

Within a month of using Tailwind, I was able to increase my  Pinterest followers by 80% and my  blog’s page views by almost 50%!

I can’t say enough about the power of Pinterest, and Tailwind is the powerhouse tool that takes Pinterest to the next level!

Tailwind is the best pin scheduling tool available.  You can literally schedule hundreds of pins in minutes, so that they drip at the optimum times for your followers.

Tailwind takes it a step further by offering Tailwind Tribes, which is similar to the Pinterest Group Boards. You’ll find a ton of tribes that you can join to share your content with even more users. And Tribes are free for everyone!

Related Post: How To Use Tailwind Tribes To Explode Your Pinterest Growth

Tailwind has a free plan, allowing you to schedule up to 100 pins, but for as low as $10/month, you can schedule an unlimited number of pins and set your Pinterest growth on fire.

They’ve now added Instagram tools that will give your account a serious boost in growth and engagement.

Try Tailwind Plus free for 14 days, and you’ll probably never go back to strictly manual pinning again.  Yes, it’s that frickin’ awesome.

Get your free trial of Tailwind now.

Hootsuite

Staying active on social media is imperative for your blog’s growth. The problem is, it takes a crazy amount of time and organization skills to post consistently.

With the help of Hootsuite, I’m able to post on social media at the optimal times for my audience without being present 24/7.

Their user-friendly dashboard allows me to add tabs for apps that help me:

• Curate content
• Keep track of scheduled posts on all platforms
• View mentions of my brand on social media
• Stay up to date across all platforms

Although I recommend Tailwind for Pinterest and Instagram, Hootsuite helps me stay active on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Hootsuite also has a learning platform that will help you understand everything you need for effective digital marketing.  This tool is the best when it comes to handling your presence online.

The Hootsuite free plan is enough to get you started, allowing you to schedule up to 30 posts at a time.

Get your free Hootsuite account now and stay engaged on social media.

Lifter LMS

Are you interested in creating courses for your readers?  Lifter LMS can help, and will save you big money over Teachable, or other course building options.

With Lifter LMS, you can create your own courses right from your WordPress dashboard.  Since all of your courses will be hosted on your own website, you won’t be sending your hard-earned traffic to someone else’s site.

The free version of Lifter LMS is all you need to create your own free and paid courses.  The PayPal integration is free, so you can get paid for your bad ass courses without ever spending a dime!

The pro version is worth paying for, since you’ll get access to additional features and payment integrations like Stripe. But, the free version will get you started.

With Lifter LMS you can sell all of your digital products, create memberships and high-quality courses that your readers will love.

Get started with LifterLMS for free here.

Sumo

If you follow my blog, you already know that Sumo is one of my favorite tools and that I highly recommend it.

Sumo is a free WordPress plugin that will take your blog from “zero to hero” almost instantly.

Sumo will make converting your blog and website visitors into subscribers, easier than you ever imagined.

In addition, Sumo will increase your reader’s engagement with all of your content.  With Sumo, you can make it easier for your audience to share your content, leading to increased traffic to your blog.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Sumo makes tracking your success so easy, that even if you’re a brand new blogger, you’ll understand your website’s analytics.

If you want to the details on all of Sumo’s features I’ve written a detailed post One Powerful Free Tool That Will Skyrocket Your Blog’s Growth.

Get Sumo now for free.

 

Canva

Creating stunning images for your blog is imperative but can seem overwhelming, especially for a beginner.

Luckily there’s Canva, a free image design tool that helps me create all of the images I use on this blog and others.

Canva makes it easy for you to create any sized image you need for your blog, business and social media posts.  You can use one of their thousands of free templates or build your own templates from scratch.

You’ll also find helpful tutorials to take the guessing out of creating the perfect images for your website and blog.

Canva also has an extensive library of free stock photos!  That means Canva is the only tool you need to create all of your blog and website images.

This is one tool that is an absolute must and has a ton of premium features available for free.  Canva blows other editing tools out of the water and sets the standard for the competition.

Get started with Canva for free now.

 

Calendly

Do you offer products or services on your blog that require you to speak with your potential clients? If so, you need an appointment scheduling tool.

When I began offering my blog coaching and design services, scheduling consultation calls with potential clients was a complete pain in the butt.  I lost out on bookings because of the cumbersome process that went like this:

1. Send me an email expressing interest
2. Wait for my reply with a list of my available time slots
3. Find a time that worked and email me again

This process didn’t work for me, and even more tragic, it didn’t work for my potential clients.  Who has time to play email-tag just to schedule a consultation call?

Then I found Calendly.  Now you’re able to schedule a convenient time straight from my Services page, as soon as tomorrow.  No more going back and forth.

On the back-end of my Calendly account, I’m able to manage my availability easily.  Plus, I’m notified right away when an appointment is booked and it’s added to my Google Calendar automatically so there’s no double-booking.

Calendly has helped me take my coaching business to the next level and I highly recommend it to anyone that needs an affordable solution for appointments.  They even offer a free plan if you’re flying solo and only need one type of appointment.

Create your free Calendly account and start booking clients today, for free!

 

What’s Next?

There you have it – a behind-the-scenes look at the tools I use to run my profitable blog.

Of course there’s more to being successful than signing up for a few free tools, but they will definitely make your blogging journey easier.

If you’re wondering how affordable blog coaching could change the course of your blog, book a free coaching consultation call with me now.  There’s no pressure or obligation, just a chance to get some feedback on your blog and information on how I can help you reach your goals.  You’ll even leave with a few free pro tips that will get you on the path to success immediately.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it on your favorite social media platform using the share buttons.  You can also join the free Next Level Bloggers Facebook Group and start taking your blog to the next level right now.

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